This disclosure relates to disposable inserts and uses thereof in a method for manufacturing an airfoil.
Components having complex geometry, such as components having internal passages and voids therein, are difficult to cast using currently available methods. The tooling used for the manufacture of such parts is both expensive and time consuming, often requiring a large lead-time. This situation is exacerbated by the nature of conventional molds comprising a shell and one or more separately formed ceramic cores. The ceramic cores are prone to shift during casting, leading to low casting tolerances and low casting efficiency (yield). Examples of components having complex geometries that are difficult to cast using currently available methods, include hollow airfoils for gas turbine engines, and in particular relatively small, double-walled airfoils. Examples of such airfoils for gas turbine engines include rotor blades and stator vanes of both turbine and compressor sections, or any parts that need internal cooling.
In current methods for casting hollow parts, a ceramic core and shell are produced separately. The ceramic core (for providing the hollow portions of the hollow part) is first manufactured by pouring a slurry that comprises a ceramic into a metal core die. After curing and firing, the slurry is solidified to form the ceramic core. The ceramic core is then encased in wax and a ceramic shell is formed around the wax pattern. The wax that encases the ceramic core is then removed to form a ceramic mold in which a metal part may be cast. These current methods are expensive, have long lead-times, and have the disadvantage of low casting yields due to lack of reliable registration between the core and shell that permits movement of the core relative to the shell during the filling of the ceramic mold with molten metal. In the case of hollow airfoils, another disadvantage of such methods is that any holes that are desired in the casting are formed in an expensive, separate step after forming the cast part, for example, by electron discharge machining (EDM) or laser drilling.
Development time and cost for airfoils are often increased because such components generally require several iterations, sometimes while the part is in production. To meet durability requirements, turbine airfoils are often designed with increased thickness and with increased cooling airflow capability in an attempt to compensate for poor casting tolerance, resulting in decreased engine efficiency and lower engine thrust. Improved methods for casting turbine airfoils will enable propulsion systems with greater range and greater durability, while providing improved airfoil cooling efficiency and greater dimensional stability.
Double wall construction and narrow secondary flow channels in modern airfoils add to the complexity of the already complex ceramic cores used in casting of turbine airfoils. Since the ceramic core identically matches the various internal voids in the airfoil which represent the various cooling channels and features it becomes correspondingly more complex as the cooling circuit increases in complexity. The double wall construction is difficult to manufacture because the conventional core die cannot be used to form a complete integral ceramic core. Instead, the ceramic core is manufactured as multiple separate pieces and then assembled into the complete integral ceramic core. This method of manufacture is therefore a time consuming and low yielding process.
Accordingly, there is a need in the field to have an improved process that accurately produces the complete integral ceramic core for double wall airfoil casting.